Highway patrol reports results of holiday traffic enforcement

The highway patrol troop at St. Joseph has released results of the traffic enforcement operation over the Thanksgiving Day weekend encompassing two heavier travel days, November 23 and 27.

Interstate 29 was designated with troopers assigned a 20-mile stretch of the interstate from the Buchanan County line to the Iowa state line. Troopers also were assigned to saturate high crash locations on U.S. highways within northwest Missouri. Officers issued 119 citations and 254 warnings.

During the long weekend, officers investigated 28 traffic crashes with one fatality and nine individuals injured. Preliminary totals show six arrests for driving while intoxicated, 11 arrests for drug violations, and issued 321 citations for exceeding the speed limit.

Missouri State Highway Patrol reports 10 people died during this year’s Thanksgiving holiday counting period–from 6 pm last Wednesday through this past midnight. Troopers investigated 400 traffic crashes, which included 124 injuries, and eight of the 10 fatalities. Sedalia Police and Kirksville Police Departments each investigated one traffic fatality.

The Kirksville fatality was Sunday evening on Highway 63 at Kirksville with the victim identified by police as 58-year-old James Sizemore of LaPlata.

In addition, troopers statewide arrested 103 people for driving while intoxicated and made 100 drug arrests during the Thanksgiving holiday counting period.

By comparison to last year, troopers then investigated 544 traffic crashes with 150 injuries. Troopers arrested 99 people for driving while intoxicated that same weekend.